Habit stacking
Anchor a new habit to one you already do without thinking
After I pour my coffee, I will write down three priorities. That is the whole formula: after I [existing habit], I will [new habit]. The existing behavior supplies the cue, so you are not relying on remembering or on motivation. It works best when the anchor is genuinely automatic and happens at the same point in the day every time.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- Greg McKeownDoes it
Author · Essentialism
Uses a BJ Fogg style recipe: after he complains, he says something he is thankful for. The first thing it taught him was how often he complains. In the family version the complainer owes three.
Source: The Tim Ferriss Show #510 transcript - James ClearRecommends
Author · Atomic Habits
New habits get anchored to an existing automatic one, with an explicit after-I-do-X-I-will-do-Y sentence.
Source: jamesclear.com: habit stacking“One of the best ways to build a new habit is to identify a current habit you already do each day and then stack your new behavior on top. This is called habit stacking.”
jamesclear.com: How to Build New Habits by Taking Advantage of Old Ones (opens in a new tab) - Steven BartlettDiscusses
Entrepreneur · The Diary of a CEO
Behavioral guests have covered habit formation mechanics with him, and he applies the framing in his own writing on behavior.
Source: The Diary of a CEO (book)
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under productivity.
- ProtocolFREE, no cost
Environment design
Change the room instead of relying on willpower
On record from 7 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 5 recommend it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Time blocking
Give every hour of the workday a job before the day starts
On record from 7 of 62 tracked people: 5 do it, 2 recommend it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Deep work blocks
Long, scheduled, distraction-free sessions on one cognitively hard task
On record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 5 do it, 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Identity-based habits
Aim at who you want to become, not the outcome you want to hit
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 4 recommend it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Workday shutdown ritual
A fixed end-of-day routine that closes open loops so work stops
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it, 1 has discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
After-action review
Debrief what happened, what should have happened, and what changes
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 1 recommends it
Protocol entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.